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DAIRYLAND WALKERS MONTHLY MEETING MAIN MADISON DOWNTOWN LIBRARY NOVEMBER 13, 2001  Officers Present:  Bonnie Hamer (Vice President); Karen Reger (Secretary); Bob Sparks (Treasurer); Russ Crane (Assistant Treasurer)   In Attendance:  20.  Two couples attended a club meeting for the first time.    In Tom Doyle's absence, Bonnie Hamer chaired the meeting.   The first order of business was to vote on the club photo contest entries.  The winner will be announced at the Doyles' annual club holiday party on December 2.    The theme of this month's meeting program was non-AVA walking experiences.  Judy Fritz played a video from Walking Adventures International, a company that specializes in walking tours all over the world, which include doing some Volksmarches.  The video explained how the company began and showed examples of some of their trips.  They often have ads in The American Wanderer.  Judy also had brochures from the company for people to pick up.    Russ and Karen had brochures from organizations that also have walking or hiking trips, such as the Sierra Club, Country Walkers, Venture West, The Earth is Yours Walking Tours, Backroads, etc.    Lori Kinnard described how she travels by bus, with only a backpack, to different locations to do walks, staying at youth hostels, which are not just for young people.  She had taken a bus to the AVA convention in Washington this year.    Judy described how she and Richard at one time belonged to the Walking and Eating Society in Milwaukee, started by Cari Taylor-Carlson.  They would start at a restaurant, walk for about an hour, not real fast, then come back to the restaurant and eat.    Tater Tours bus tours have been to Madison twice to do our walks.  The tours are Volksmarch oriented, doing one or two walks a day.  Another bus tour group is the Bad Pennies.    Bonnie said it was decided at the last Board meeting to cut back on the A awards (because of the cost) so there would only be three, for the Capitol walk, East Side walk, and Arboretum walk.  They would not be dated.  B awards would also be in those boxes, plus be in the seasonal walk boxes.    Don Suloff will be the coordinator for the 2002 event walks, and he passed out a tentative list of the walks upcoming for the next year.  He also wondered if there would be interest in a moonlight walk, perhaps at Governor Nelson State Park.  Options would be in April, October, or November.  He was thinking of having a fixed starting time of 7:00, with people going out in groups of slow, medium, or fast walkers.  It would be advisable to take along flashlights.    It was mentioned that places to have future walks might be New Glarus, Token Creek Park, and Lake Farm Park.  Don mentioned that he and Russ are willing to be mentors for anyone who has a walk in mind and needs help in developing it.  Karen mentioned that she and Russ had done the Port Washington and Cedarburg walks, and had noticed that some of the B awards were for walks in other cities, such as Milwaukee.  Did the Cedarburg club have directions and maps for walks that our club may be able to use as a guide in the future?  No one knew the answer to that.    Some state parks occasionally have candlelight walks, but they're not long enough to qualify as one of our walks.  The club had 15 volunteers for the fall highway cleanup on November 11, which made the work go quite fast.    Russ gave the Treasurer's report.  He also indicated that he had ordered 30 copies of the Starting Point, and passed around a reserve sign-up sheet for copies of the book.  It has been $10.00 in the past, but will now cost $12.00 as AVA has increased the cost.  He showed the sheets of the frequent walker coupons which he designed and had printed.  It will cost $15.00 for a sheet of ten coupons.  These can be used in lieu of the $2.00 credit fee for the entire year of 2002.  The walks that these can be used for are listed on the back of the coupon.  Russ will have them available at the Doyles' holiday party.    The sanction fees for 2002 have already been paid for the year-rounds and seasonals.  The club owes $600.00 for awards ordered, roughly $300.00 for Starting Points, and $150.00 for books and supplies.    Janet Hagen is working with Bonnie on a new route for the Capitol walk.  Next year the Devils Lake walk will change direction.    Are club meetings okay to be scheduled at 7:00 on Tuesdays?    The 2002 newsletter will come out every other month, instead of every month as in the past.  Bonnie, as the new newsletter editor, would like people to contribute articles.    Bonnie suggested that the club give Tom some special recognition as his term of being president ends, and the attendees concurred.  Ed Reid will see about a plaque.  Would anyone be able to make up a skit or poem for the holiday party?  Russ will design a Dairyland Walkers lifetime membership certificate.    The last order of business was to vote for the club officers.  ·   Jerry and Pam Wilson had been nominated as co-presidents, and were elected.  ·   Jo and Bob Sparks had been nominated as co-vice presidents, and were elected. ·    Judy Fritz had been nominated as secretary, Karen Reger was nominated from the floor, and Karen was elected.  ·   Russ Crane was nominated as Treasurer, and was elected.  ·   Barbara Borde was nominated from the floor for Member at Large, and was elected.    The meeting was adjourned at 8:30.    Submitted by Karen Reger.